My Want List: 2022 Matchbox Mix 2 - The Obvious Remnants

Hi everyone, welcome to another edition of My Want List. I was able to get some of the releases I wanted from this year's Matchbox mix two. And as usual, there were some I couldn't find. But I already knew I was going to have a hard time finding specific ones, so I'm not disappointed. At the end of the day, I'm just happy that I was able to find as many releases as I did. I mean, there were twelve releases I wanted from mix two, and I was able to find eight of them, so I'd say that's a win. Now I just need to find the last four, and hopefully it doesn't take too long. But you never know, there a chance I could never find them. Anyway, today's post isn't about what I couldn't find, so let me move on to the eight new additions to my collection. 

It's not everyday that you see a certain type of vehicle hanging on the Matchbox pegs when you go down the diecast row. And even though Matchbox will frequently give collectors different types of vehicles like the Backhoe, there are still some you just don't see that often. So what type of vehicle am I talking about? Well, it's semi trucks. The 2019 release of the '13 Ford Cargo was the last time Matchbox gave us a mainline release of a semi truck, and I really don't see why there has been more than that. In my opinion, these vehicles are just a cool as cars, so I wish they'd make more of them. But I guess it all depends on whether or not they can get the license to make them. Fortunately, they have the license to make many of Ford's vehicles, and that agreement has allowed them to make a 1965 Ford C900 for the mainline. 

This is actually not the first C900 from Matchbox. Back in 2011, they made one for their Super Convoy series, but I wasn't into diecast like I am now, so I never got it. Now, Mattel's other brand does have their own Ford C series truck, but as you know, it's not a trailer pulling cab. So I can honestly say that I'm very delighted to see this casting. 

I'm also pleased with the design choices that were made for this release. If they wanted to, they could have created their own trucking company design. But no, they decided to give it a Shell theme, and I love how they used the old Shell logo. Sure, this release would have looked just fine with the company's current logo, but using the old logo gave it a period correct look, and that's what I really like. In my opinion, the best company liveries for this truck are the ones from the '60s. So hopefully we'll see a few more classic themed releases of this C900. 

Two years ago, Matchbox gave us some awesome new castings, and I'm sure the Bugati Divo was the highlight for many collectors. Now, I might have liked it as much as you, but it wasn't my only favorite new casting from 2020. Back then, Matchbox also gave us some new four-door vehicles, and the Alfa Romeo Giulia was one of the ones I really liked. Since its debut, the casting has had some okay releases, and one of them was a part of the Collectors Series. After last year's two releases, I was left wondering what color they'd choose for the next release. Well, I now have my answer, and I'm very pleased!

This is the release I was waiting for! Sure, this car looks nice finished in red, and I do like how they gave the white one black wheels, but nothing beats one finished in your favorite color. And I think Anodized Blue is a great looking color for this car. Now, I'm not entirely sure if that's the color they were going for, but I'm assuming it is because this color is much darker than Misano Blue.

Although I really like this release, I do have to admit that there's one minor detail that I don't like, and it's a tampo that was applied to the back of it. Once again, the Matchbox team has decided to put "GIULIA" within a white rectangle on the license plate section. I know this is one little detail, so it's not that big of a deal, but I do think it'd be nice to see a release of this casting with an actual plate. Other than that, this is a stellar release. 

Over the years, Matchbox has made many nice Porsche castings, and the 911 Carrera Cabriolet is one of the ones I missed. Fortunately, Matchbox decided to retool the casting, and it was another one of the 2020 releases I really liked. In fact, I ended up getting an extra one to have on display. Anyway, I had high hopes that there'd be more than just one release of it, and that has thankfully come to pass. And now, thanks to this year's mix two, we have a third release of the retooled casting.  

This and the 2020 release are currently the best two, and there's a reason why I'm saying that. In a few older posts, I made mention of how I like when a release is finished in a color that hasn't already been used for it. In my opinion, and I think you'll agree, using a new color helps to make a release of a casting stand out from the older ones. So that's why I really like this and the 2020 release. I'll admit that the 2021 release is still nice, but that's the third time black was used from this Porsche. So despite being a retooled version, it doesn't really stand out that much. 

Although the white one also stands out, I feel this release is the better of the two. Sure, the 2020 release was the first white Carrera Cabriolet from Matchbox, but I feel white is a color that's used a little more than the others. And it's definitely used more than this particular dark green. I also think the gold wheels help to make this one stand out more than the white one. 

It's no lie that a lot of collectors look forward to the JDM releases from Hot Wheels, and I'm sure there are just as many of you that also look forward to them from Matchbox. I for one, am a part of the latter crowd. Custom JDM cars are cool to have, but it's also nice to have classic Japanese cars in their original form. And that's why I'm glad Matchbox has JDM castings like the 1976 Honda CVCC. Now, the first two releases of it proved to be a little hard to find, but that wasn't the case for this year's release. And I'm actually quite surprised at how there were multiples of it on the pegs. I guess it got completely overshadowed by the releases I couldn't find. 

It might not be my favorite release, but I actually like this release way more than the previous one, and it's all thanks to its exterior color, as well as a specific tampo detail. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with a white CVCC, but as you already know, I feel white is a color that's used a little more than the others. That's why I ended up liking the recolor of the AE86 from Hot Wheels more than this year's first one. At the end of the day, it all comes down to personal preference, so you might prefer the white one over this one. But I think this red one is the better of the two. 

This release's license plate is the tampo detail I was talking about. So far, all three of this casting's releases have featured a license plate, and in my opinion, the second release's plate wasn't as creative as this or the first release's plate. Unlike the aforementioned two, the white release's plate simply said the name of the vehicle's manufacturer. I think everyone can tell who made the vehicle by looking at its emblems. Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't get a vanity plate that says the name of the vehicle or its manufacturer. I mean, if you're going to order a special plate, then you're going to want one that makes you and your vehicle stand out. And that's why I like how this release's plate says "DREAMS." This plate lets everyone know that this is your dream car. 

If you like classic cars like I do, and I'm assuming that you do, then you were most likely also pleased with all of classics that were released last year. I especially liked all of the classic American vehicles. Now, even though I liked all of them, there was one that stood out a little more than the others, and it was the 1934 Chevy Master Coupe. I was truly thrilled to see another '30s vehicle in its original form, and I couldn't wait to see the next release of it. Well, the wait is finally over!

Sometimes, the Matchbox designers will use the exact same colors for the various releases of their classic cars. A perfect example of that is seen with the Austin Healey and the Jaguar XK140. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, but I do think it's great to switch things up every now and then. So with that being said, I'm glad they didn't use the same blue that was used for the '33 Plymouth. I'm also pleased with their decision to use a metallic paint. 

There is one thing I don't like about this release though, and it has to do with its base. For some reason, the designers chose to give this release a grey base instead of a chrome one, and I can't understand why. In my opinion, a chrome base is a much better choice for a casting like this because it makes the bumpers look a little more realistic. But I guess I can ignore them.Ultimately, I'm just glad to see a continued use of this casting.

Between Hot Wheels and Matchbox, it seems like there's an El Camino for for everyone. And now, Matchbox has created a new one that's for collectors like me who like vehicles from the early '60s. Sure, Hot Wheels has made some nice El Caminos, but the later model years just don't have the same exterior styling that this one has.   

Having a stock appearance is not the only reason why I'm happy that Matchbox is the brand that made this car. Take a look at the stunning color they picked for this release's exterior. When's the last time you saw Hot Wheels use this color for a classic car? Maybe I missed an old release of a casting, but I haven't seen any classic cars finished in this color on their pegs. So that's another one of the other reasons why I feel Matchbox is one of the go-to brands for diecast classic cars.

My mix two want list also had two SUVs on it, and I was able to find both of them. So the first one I'm going to talk about is the second release of the 2020 Land Rover Defender 90.

Yes! That's the first thing I said when I found this release. Even if blue isn't your favorite color, you have to admit that they picked a great version of it for this release. Of course, you could still like the green one more, and I won't deny the fact that it's still a nice looking release. I'm just really excited to finally have one of these finished in blue. 

The Bentley Bentayga is the second SUV I got, and I'm really glad to see another release of it. I know it's not that exciting, but you never know when a casting will only get one release. I mean, take the 1956 Powell Sport Pickup for example. That casting has so far only had one release, and that was two years ago. That's why I get excited when I see a continued use of certain castings. And Bentley is a manufacturer that's not used as much as Chevy. So I just can't contain my excitement when I see another release of their vehicles. 

I can now be open minded towards any and all future releases of this casting due to the fact that they've already released a blue one. So with that being said, I feel they picked an awesome color for this release. Blue might be my favorite color, but it's not the only great exterior color for certain vehicles. So for example, I think a white Bentayga with black wheels would look great, and it could become my all-time favorite release. Anyway, I think this SUV looks really good finished in the red they picked, so I no longer have a favorite release.

Okay, those are all eight of the releases I was able to find from this year's mix two. The other four might have been the ones to get, but these eight releases are just as great. I'm especially happy with the Ford C900, and hopefully they'll think about making some more semi trucks for their mainline. Now I have to be on the lookout for the other four. Hopefully I'm able to find them, but if not, then I'm completely satisfied with these eight.

So how do you feel about the releases from this mix? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments section. Alright, that's all for this edition of My Want List. Until next time, thanks for reading, and happy collecting. And remember, these are just toys.